In Service of the Dragon
by Scenes from a Memory
Summary: Based on Valerie(Ryu's Mother) of Breath of Fire 2, contains spoilers to the game. A story as her role as a Maiden of the Dragon. Reviews and Criticism welcomed. Complete!
1. World of Silence

This is a spoiler to anyone who has not gotten to the end of Breath of Fire 2. Please do not read any further if you wish to be spared of spoilers. If not, please read ahead.... Reviews and criticism are welcome.

Breath of Fire is and it's characters are ãcopyright)Capcom. I am just writing fanfiction.

In Service of the Dragon

I am what they call 'The Maiden in the Service of the Dragon.' It is an honor to be called such a title; it is an even greater honor to become one. My name is Valerie, I am twenty-three years old, of the Light Dragon clan, and I live here, in Dologany. Yes, the underground city of the forsaken Dragon clan, the Brood, whatever those on the surface have been known to call us... We are now nothing more than simple care takers of the gate shielding against a sin left behind by the vengeful goddess, Myria. Here, we, both sides of the coin in the clan, wait here; waiting for the day when the seed of evil will hatch and rise to power. Deathevan is this seed, and we will stop it! It is our only way to atone for the sins we brought upon the surface world so many generations ago. Though, being here is not enough, it will not help us defeat this threat. My father, Martin, has told me that the elder fears something on the surface is helping Deathevan become a reality; the entire clan is in an uproar. If this is so, then all we will have done here would be in vain. Let me explain...

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Decades and decades ago, a battle between the goddess, the legendary warrior of the dragon, and our very own clans commenced. It was a bitter civil war over the power of the goddess, Myria. The Dark Dragons sought to monopolize the world, they quickly tore our families asunder, removing any threat that would stand in their way of world domination. The Light Dragons were the first to suffer... Their home, which is now occupied by regular people on the surface, was burned down during this time. All seemed lost with the Light Dragons, having forsaken their own powers; they had no way to stop their clansmen... that is, until the warrior of the dragon appeared. He and his many friends, different races from all over the world, banded together to route the evils that existed. The turmoil that had gripped the world slowly loosened as they defeated the minions of the Dark Dragons, and finally, the goddess herself. However, she would not allow herself to be rid of this world, she would not allow herself to die; she could not die. And so, Myria left behind a seed of evil to awake one day and destroy us when we least expected it... I am afraid that that time is coming. We may be powerless to stop it if we remain here.

Because of our selfishness and arrogance towards the world, we had to run away and live here where we would be of no harm to the surface. Together, the Light and the Dark, we will make sure that nothing happens to the world... I must play my part as well. For many years, I have trained under the guidance of the elders, studying the ways of the dragon clan, the branches of powers, and our history. I have prayed for so long; prayed to leave this dark, dull world of silence that span the halls of what seem to be infinity. Finally, just a few days ago, the great God of Dragons, Ladon, answered my prayer with his blessing. I am his maiden; I am in his service. He wishes for me to go to the surface and observe the world... In other words, I am to watch out for the creatures of the damned that may be aiding Deathevan. Today is my final day here in Dologany... 

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My father, Martin, is standing in the middle of the room, talking to my grandfather, the elder. I can see they're worried about me going to the surface, but I'm quite capable of handling myself. I have to be able to; I am the Maiden in Service of the Dragon. This is my destiny. They know this as well.

"Valerie... I think it's about time you say your good-byes to everyone." My father says to me as he places both his hands on my shoulders. I can see the tears in his eyes, I know it will be hard for him to let me go. There is an awkward silence between us as I look into his eyes. There would be time for this later. Nodding in response, I turn away towards the door.

"Yes, father." The handle turns, and there is a click, I open the door and leave. It shuts behind me; I take in a deep breath as the slamming sound reminds me of my poor father...There is no turning back now.

The city of Dologany was erected upon two great platforms, a city in layers. It was dark and almost barren, given light only when the eruption of thunder and lightning raced through the clouds in the darkness. This was the atmosphere of the underground; a single spire forged in the center of the earth, towering from the surface to the bottom that was forever shrouded in shadows. The static that raced beyond the tower was almost magical; they jump around in between four great conductor pillars built just beyond this structure in each direction. It acted as a safeguard against any demons that would attack our city from behind the veils of cloudy grays and the depths of hell. We were, after all, nestled on a ledge on the outside of this damned spire. I had been staring far too long at the scenery that I had grown to accept far too long, I walk along the platform and over to the great statue erected in honor of Ladon. I kneel before it and pray for a safe journey, clasping my hands over my chest and closing my eyes. I pray that all will be will with my father here after I am gone; I pray that Deathevan will not rise while I am gone; I pray that the Dragon clan will prevail. Rising, I walk towards a ladder leading to the bottom platform and descend it.

"Valerie! Are you really leaving us?" I hear one of the Light clansmen ask me, I nodded in response; he seems saddened. I move on after saying good-bye with a smile. I will miss him.

There are four homes before me; I will visit each on in turn. The houses seem more like crypts that you would see in a graveyard, it only added to the feeling that we were doomed. I enter the first building; in this home live two orphan children of the Dark Dragon. Long ago, their parents ascended to the surface to gather supplies dearly needed; they never returned. The one boy had light, brown hair with blonde highlights and blue eyes; his sister had bright, fiery hair and the same eyes. I always came here to play with them and keep them company. My heart lurched as I saw their imploring looks, they knew why I was here... it broke my heart; but I had to go on, if I didn't, I could not be able to protect them in my own way. 

"Valerie! Please don't go! Please!" I hear the sister weep as she runs towards me and hugs my knees, I can feel her wet tears bleed through the cloth of my dress. My hand rests upon her head as I look down upon her, by now there is a dry lump in the back of my throat. I am so sorry... 

"I must go, be a good girl... May the blessing of the Dragon God be with you..." Was my response in a sympathetic tone, yet I tried to remain strong. Her brother comes up and peels her from my body.

"You too, V...Valerie... I'll... miss you." He says, sniffling and wiping a tear from his eyes. I find all this too endearing, but I laugh. I ruffle his hair with a smile.

"Protect your sister. Now, be good, both of you. May Ladon watch over you." I depart before I too, would fall into tears. I thought I was ready for these good-byes... no, I am. There's nothing wrong with sadness; I am ready to leave, but I cannot help but cry. I will miss my family.

I walk along to the other home and enter it, inside is the elderly woman of the Dark Dragon. She is the adoptive grandmother of the children in the other house, I always came to know her as my grandmother as well. "Granny." I say shyly, approaching her. The old woman looks at me teary-eyed, her shawl-covered head nodding. She gestures me closer with both hands, I come and she embraces me. I do the same.

"Valerie, go. Go with the blessing of Ladon." Granny released me, looking upon me fondly before turning away to weep. I stand there and watch, I want to tell her that I will return. I will return.

"I'll come back someday, granny. Goodbye." I leave the house, and outside I hear the thunder boom, amplifying loudly in the darkness. I shudder, my serpentine wings twitch behind me and instinctively I fold them tighter to my body, as if subconsciously I was trying to shield myself. No matter, I head onto the other houses and say my good-byes to the rest of the Brood.

By the time I returned to my home, my father and grandfather were waiting outside the door for me. They both look depressed and heartbroken. I must do what I am doing for everyone's sake and theirs. They know this, they must accept this... I will return one day anyhow. They have nothing to fear. I tell them, "I am ready."

"Have you said all of your goodbyes? Have you prayed to Ladon?" My grandfather tries to confirm. I nod assuringly. 

My father sighs and shakes his head, "Then I will gather everyone."

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Everyone from the clan stands before me, sad smiles plastered on their faces. I watch them weep and lean on each other for comfort, but I stand there and just smile. My grandfather announced my leaving and they all began to wave. Taking a deep breath, I turn upon my heels and head for the massive door that will lead me to the maze dubbed as "Infinity." Just as I open the door and make my way through after uttering my goodbyes, a hand clamps down on my shoulder.

"Wait, Valerie..." My father says in a weak voice. I turn around and he takes my hand, placing something in my palm. "Take this...Things may get confusing and if you ever get lost in the world, it will guide you."

A pendant in shape of a dragon with a tear jewel in the middle. It changes colors at the emotions of the people around me. It seems mixed, I watch the sapphire hover all the colors of the rainbow. With a smile, I don it and hug my father one last time. 

"Good bye, Father. I'll miss you..." I move away, then wave to everyone else. "Goodbye, everyone! May the blessing of the Dragon God be with you! I will pray often so you can hear my observations." They all shout things to me, I'm too flustered to pay attention. I quickly turn again and rush through the door. I hear it slam behind me.

My heart pounds against my chest, I take in a deep breath. I dare not look back, but forward.

......

I know truly know there is no turning back now; Infinity awaits.


	2. Dragon's Destiny

I have walked for hours on end, my limbs hurt from climbing several cases of stairs only to reach a floor containing almost the exact same setup. I now know why they call this infinity; it seems to go on forever. I've lost track of which floor I am on now, I can only hope and pray there is indeed, an exit. I will be damned if I die here, I would be forsaken by everyone in Dologany... I can't let them down. Eerie silence fills each dimly, torch-lit room I enter, the only thing that comforts me here is my own breathing and footsteps. How long will this last? Will it ever end? I shake my head at my thoughts. No, I can't think these things, I can't doubt that the path I have chosen is misleading. I brave on, and as I reach the top of the never-ending stairs, my heart races; there is at last a change in scenery. A massive room with several floating platforms leading upward connected only by ancient staircases, not much of a change, but enough for a little hope to rekindle itself. Perhaps, just perhaps, there is an end to it all. My feet were far too sore, though, they needed rest. So, I spread out my massive, leathery wings and leap up, beating them fiercely as I maneuver upwards platform to platform, stopping only on each to rest my wings. After a few minutes of this, I reach yet again, another staircase and climb it.

Hours on hours passed, my pace was slow, but I would not try to tire myself out. I had grown bored of this maze long ago and the hope I had recently kindled was diminishing. Step after step, I walk up the stone stairs, the tapping of my own feet giving me reason enough to move on. When I reached the top floor, my heart felt as if it were about to burst from my chest; I was here at last! Before me, just yards away, was a large, stone doorway, carved with runes all over the front. The sealed gate to hell, and I, the only one with the power to unlock it rightfully. I quickly ran as fast as I could toward it, careful not to stumble on my feet, or upon the folds on the fabric of my dress. The door was now before me, I smile and laugh to myself; a laughter of joy. I felt rewarded after such a long, agonizing walk. My arm extends, placing my palm up against the gate and from this, comes a vibrant energy. It pulsates and the door glows brightly, which soon dims into a sight I have never seen before. Greens, browns, blues... all sorts of colors! This must be dirt, and grass, and the sky! I race outside and examine the scenery unfolding.

I had never experienced anything like it, the feel of the dirt beneath me, the wind blowing against me. Was this Ladon's gift to me for being his faithful? I felt so happy. I was surrounded by long blades of grass, a whole field of it at that. Behind me, as a large, gigantic mountain that loomed several feet above me... This is where Infinity ended. I was glad. Now, to get onto things... just where was I? I press forward and walk down a beaten, dirt path that was littered with colorful butterflies. They flutter from the ground and into the air as I approach; it was breath-taking to me, even if it was one of the simpler joys in life. Winding down the trail, I come to three paths; I walk straight down the center and eventually wade through a tall blade of grass among several tall spruces. Before me, was a town; it was magnificent. Cozy homes of built from brick, and the workings of nature all around. I take a deep breath and step further towards the village, hoping that I would not make quite a sight of myself. However, much to my dismay, a middle-aged man pauses in his daily routine and looks upon me with a puzzled look.

"Say, where did you come from, miss?" He asks me, I walk up to him and smile, shaking my head.

"Far away." I respond, peering down at the dragon's tear; which lights up a bright green. I had nothing to fear from him.

"Oh, I see... well, we don't have much here, but you're welcome to stay here. I'm sure Father Ganer will allow you to stay at the church." The man then adds as I walk further down a small, cobblestone walkway that led in deeper. Church, he mentioned a church? I assumed it would be to Ladon, of course...

Women's chatter arouses my attention, I look to my side and see two ladies folding their clothes and gossiping. They stop and both stare at me, I walk up to them and say a simple hello. I know they are looking at my clothing and my wings, I am like nothing they have ever seen.

"What clan are you from?" One of them asks me.

"A forgotten one, it appears..." I say sadly, realizing that it must be true. No one seemed to recall the beauty of a dragon clanswoman when they saw one. My heart felt sore at this moment... I could see the dragon's tear hover light blue; no harm here.

My feet carry me on into a wide-open space with a bench and mass of vines clinging desperately to a tall object. On further inspection, I move in closer and remove the vines; I nearly collapse at what I see! It is the dragon god's statue! Why? Why is this like this? Have they forgotten of Ladon's teachings? I kneel down and utter a quick prayer, telling the statue of my journey so far. My fears wash away at this point and I rise, looking aside... there I see a great, white church. But, I wonder? Who do they worship here if it is not Ladon? Curious, I enter this structure and pause in the doorway.

"By Ladon's mercy..." I hear myself utter at the majestic interior. It was made of fine marble pillars and adorned with rich green carpets, several statues and beautiful stained glass windows. Subconsciously, I began to move forward, up an aisle in the center of the pews and to the altar where a man with light hair, stood. He was deep in prayer, my movements must have startled him, as he turned in acknowledgement.

"Welcome to the house of Saint Eva...." He trails off, gazing deeply into my eyes and blushes. I glance down at the pendant around my neck, it flashes all sorts of colors; had he become infatuated with my appearance? I must admit... he was a handsome man... Though, that was not of concern right now, I will find out more about this 'Saint Eva.'

The days passed quickly while I was here, I learned that the man's name was Father Ganer, a priest of Saint Eva. While I had little knowledge of this religion, he had taken the time to teach me of it and what it was all about. Though, he seemed vaguely curious each time I went outside to pray in front of Ladon... I tried to explain it to him, but he did not seem to understand my faith in the dragon god. Instead, he just accepted it, voluntarily coming to pray alongside with me to Ladon. In gratitude, I would also pray to Saint Eva... I must admit, there were many surprises in my journey, especially one that I did not expect; I fell in love with Ganer. These days became years and I had married him, together we lived in the church of Saint Eva happily.

We were blessed all these years, especially with the birth of our first-born child, Ryu and now, we were expecting another! However, as I continued to live on the surface, I slowly forgot my duty to the dragon. Even as I prayed to Ladon, I felt as if I had made no progress; I had no reports of anything pertaining to Deathevan... maybe we were wrong. It all seemed like it did not matter anymore, I had Ganer, Ryu and a child on the way, what more could I ask for? We were happy, we lived together in harmony, even with the religious differences Ganer and I had.

"Valerie? There you are!" I heard Ganer say from behind me. I glance over my shoulder and smile. "You shouldn't be walking around so much, you know you're pregnant and the baby is due almost anytime. I know you like to pray here, but I wish you would get back to resting."

"I am alright, but if you insist.. I will return to bed." I reply, Ganer was always such a worrier. He was always thinking of me and for that I as grateful. I stood and slowly walked toward the church, I had expected Ganer to come with me, but he hadn't. Instead, I glanced to the side and saw him kneeling before Ladon in prayer. "Oh Ganer..." I sighed..

I felt pity for him, pity because he believed in Ladon while I did not believe in Saint Eva. As night came and Ganer had gathered us to pray before the altar in the church with Ryu, I began to feel something indifferent about this religion. Call it instinct, but there was something about it that I could not trust. I couldn't place my finger on it, but it felt... wrong. We had finished prayer and I scooped my precious son into my arms, carrying him to bed upstairs. I tucked him in with a smile, ruffling the head of blue hair. "Good night, my little one."

"Goodnight, mommy!" Ryu said with a smile... he was such a cheerful little boy. I loved him so much, so much that occasionally I would sit at the side of his bed and watch him drift asleep. He was so peaceful then.

The years, yet again, rolled by, and I had given birth to a beautiful daughter which we named Yua. I felt complete now, like every wish I ever had had been granted. Now, whenever I pray, I pray for my children's happiness and well-being. I slowly forgot about praying for the dragons, or my duty to report any suspicions. In a way, I cursed myself for letting myself forget... Deathevan's minions hadn't made a move at all these years. I was far too content to leave this little village dubbed "Gate."

Morning rolled around, I awoke and immediately tended to Yua, it had been at least 7 monthes since she was born. I changed her and fed her before placing her on the floor to play with one of the toys Ryu would play with as an infant. She crawled along on the floor happily, cooing as she pushed a little biruburu figurine around. I smiled, Ryu's footsteps came into my ears as he pulled on my dress. I turned and looked down upon him. "What is it, my little one?"

"Mommy! Mommy! There are scary monsters outside! Daddy is out there!" He said, flustered and frightened. Tears were pouring down his cheeks, I could see the shock in his emerald eyes. My heart had sunk at this point, demons...were outside?

Where did they come from? Could it be that they had come through the gate? I knew something bad was going to happen, I could feel it the other night... Deathevan was beginning to rise. Did he intend to storm the surface in a frontal assault? I could not allow this to happen! I would never allow anyone to harm my family! "Ryu, please protect Yua... Be a good boy." I kneel down and hug Ryu closely, then rise.

"Okay, I will mommy!" Such a good boy, I will always remember how his bravery inspires me...

I rush downstairs, and out of the church. Outside, I see hulking, winged beasts hovering the air in the village and the terrified villagers who run inside their homes to safety. I could not find Ganer anywhere, I was beginning to worry; I had to stop this. I proceeded to walk the path towards the mountains in the back, along the way, one of the beasts dives in front of me. I froze in shock, unable to move... I didn't know what to expect. I could see my life flash before my eyes as it brought a hand back to reel upon me, though it was cut short in a flash of lightning. It fell into ashes before me.

"Valerie! Get back inside the church!" Ganer said as he stormed up to me, he was extremely worried, his face showed it. I could also tell he was exhausted, he couldn't hold them off much longer. Even if he were supposedly an extremely talented magician.

I say nothing to him and move aside, pulling aside the tall blades of grass aside the spruces. I walk the path I walked through years ago, ignoring the screams behind me and the images of my children crying. I so wanted to run back to them, hold them and tell them it was alright; but I couldn't. That would not protect them, that would not protect the world. Finally, I had reached the gate, I saw the demons fly from it and as I looked to the side, noticing two other entrances opened on each side of me, I realized what I must do. Hesitation filled me as I made my decision, it was for the best; it was my duty. I stood before the gate and closed my eyes, concentrating despite the chaos around me... My body burst apart in quick rush of pain, I felt ascended and heavy. A loud, echoing roar ripped through the vicinity as I shed aside my human-esque form and embraced my large, dragon side. Acting quickly, I resealed the gate and easily climbed onto the top of the mountain, laying down on my underbelly. I lowered my head down to cover the center gate, my clawed hands used to cover the other entrances.

This was the only way to stop this, the seal I put upon the caves were weak and it would not last long if it were just them alone to block the threat. I could vaguely feel the horrid monsters crash against the barricaded doors, trying to burst through. I felt faint and tired, the last thing I could recall was hearing Ryu's voice from ahead of me. It occurred to me that I may never see Ryu again, I would never see Yua or Ganer again either. I wept a single tear, my exhaustion drifted over me faster than I had expected. A long slumber overcame me in an attempt to conserve my strength... I would watch over my children from here, even if not an active part of their lives...

Ryu's voice still flooded my mind, I could hear him and feel him. Though, I came to understand something... and feared it. Who would stop Deathevan now? Could..... Ryu be the one? He was but a child, but I began to pray in my sleep... Prayed that Ryu would one day be able to rival Deathevan's strength.


End file.
